Wärtsilä has now supplied 50DF dual-fuel propulsion engines to 100 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Carrier vessels. This milestone was recently passed with the supply of an LNG carrier in a South Korean shipyard. The 100 LNG Carriers represent approximately one quarter of the current global fleet.
Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel technology was first launched in the early 1990s for use in land-based power plant applications. The first marine installation of the 50DF engine came a decade later. The technology enables the engine to be operated on either natural gas, light fuel oil (LFO), or heavy fuel oil (HFO), and switching between fuels can take place during operation, without loss of power or speed. The Wärtsilä 50DF engine is designed to have the same output regardless of the fuel used.
Cleaner Engines
The 50DF engines were first fitted onboard LNG Carriers in 2006. Since that introduction, 65 percent of all new LNG Carriers have been fitted with the company’s dual-fuel engines. Two of the reasons for the success of this particular engine are its superior propulsion efficiency and its environmental advantages. When operating in gas mode, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are at least 85 percent below those specified in the current IMO regulations, and CO2 emissions are some 25 percent less than those of a conventional marine engine running on diesel fuel. Additionally, the sulphur oxide (SOx) and particle emissions are negligible at almost zero percent.
Other Marine Sectors Interested in Duel-Fuel Engines
The 50DF engine is increasingly being considered by owners and operators throughout the shipping industry, such as in the cruise and ferry sector, where it is often necessary to operate in Emission Control Areas (ECAs). The new Viking Line ferry to operate between Finland and Sweden will be the largest ferry in the world operating on gas.
Similarly, vessels serving the offshore oil and gas industry are increasingly being fitted with dual-fuel engines. The need for flexibility, fuel efficiency, and compliance with stricter environmental regulations, are the drivers behind this trend.
